Buying a budget trapeze - what to look for and why we design ours the way we do:

​I was convinced years ago by Ludwig to go with a 360 degree weld on the bar. Since once you cover that joint you can't inspect it, at least if the weld ever did fail the physical bar will hold you. I have heard from professionals who have had welds break. See the photo of our trapeze bar design and weld. Know how to recognize a good weld.

If the top of the rope is spliced it should have a thimble to reduce wear on the rope (our thimble is inside - see photo). If it is a big exposed thimble, it should be whipped or secured to the rope.

Look inside the rope below the thimble where the wire core is crimped. I have seen fabricators leave the sharp wire exposed below the crimp. The sharp wire cable ends should be covered with something like electrical tape to prevent cuts. If not, I personally think it shows poor craftsmanship and that the fabricator just doesn't care. We do a splice on our Amsteel core which doesn't require a crimp or have exposed sharp ends.

Check the connector used to secure the rope to the bar. Make sure it is a name brand quicklink or shackle. We have upgraded to the Maillon Rapide PPE which include a serial number on the quicklinks. There should be a thimble on the wire or cable connecting to the bar too.

An eye splice should have a minimum of 3 tucks. But since your life depends on it, we do four full tucks. See photo. We believe in backing everything up. So if the structural core ever failed ( and I have seen videos of failures ), our ropes provide redundancy for extra safety. Some fabricators just rig the cotton rope as a comfort not as a safety backup. Our trapeze ropes are certified to a minimum breaking strength of 5000 lbs.

Ask your fabricator if they product liability insurance. This insurances adds 16% to the cost of our product but I think it's the responsible thing to do as a fabricator. Most fabricators in the US do not have product liability insurance.

Standard sizes available to order online OR complete the Custom Order Form for more options:​